Voting-machine



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l. A. H. HART. VOTING MACHINE.

No. 605,423. Patented June 7,1898.

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` (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

A. H. HART.

VUTING MACHINE.

No. 605,423. Patented June 7,1898.

/N VENTOR @Q/az ATTORNEYS W/ TNE SSE S THE Nunms PETERS co. Pnovomrno.. WASNINGT'UN'. n4. c.

nutrie ,TATES Parent @lumen ANDRE\V ll. HART, OF \VINCHESTER, KENTUCKY.

VOTENG=MACHBNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,423, dated June 7, 1898.

Application filed August 13,1897. Serial No. 648,126. (N0 model.)

To all 1072/0717/ t may concern.-

Be it known that l, ANDREW Il. HART, of lVinchester, in the county of Clark and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and lmproved Votinglachine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates particularly to niachines designed to be operated by a voter to register his vote for any candidate or candidates; and the object is to provide a machine of this character of comparatively simple construction, and therefore not liable to get out of order, and, further, to so construct the machine that the total number of votes cast for each of the candidates may be seen orascertained without counting` ballots, as is usually done. d

I will describe a voting-machine embodyingmy invention, and then point out the novel features'in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a voting-machine embodying` my invention, with certain parts broken away to more clearly show other parts. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the machine, and Fig. Il shows a portion of a tape employed. y

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a case of any desired size, in which shafts 2 and 3 are mounted. These shafts extend transversely of the case, and, as here shown, they have their ends seated in the lower portions of channels 4, formed at the sides of the case. Mounted to rotate on the shaft 2 is a series of delivery-rollers 5. These deliveryrollers have flanges at their sides, and a tape 6 has one end secured to a roller 5 and the other end secured to a take-up roller 7, mounted on the shaft 3. Of course there will be a takeup roller for each roller 5, and it may be here stated that Aany number of rollers and tapes thereon may be employed in a case, depending, of course, upon the number of candidates to be voted for.

The tape 6 is provided with a series of consecutive numbers, the space between which, as shown in Fig. 4, gradually increases from the lower to the higher numbers. The object l of so increasingthe spaces is to properly present the number beneath the glass-covered sight-opening S in the top of the casing as the winding of the tape increases in` diameter on the roller 7. Underneath the glass of the sight-opening 8 is a plate 9, over which the tape passes, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. This plate 9, as will also the glass in the sight-opening, extends entirely across themachine-casing. One flange of each roller 7 is provided with ratchet-teeth 10, designed to be engaged by a dog 11, mounted to swing on a block 12, movable longitudinally in a slot 13, formed in-the top of the casing. This block 12 is secured to a top plate 1l, movable on the top of the case and -provided with a finger-piece 15.

Extended forward from each block 12 is a detent 16, consisting of resilient metal and having a hook end 17, designedvto engage over a rod 18, extended transversely of the case. Extended from each block 12 and arlranged below the detent 16 is a resilient lifting-strip 19. All of the resilient strips 19 rest on a swinging bar 20. This swinging bar has its ends turned at right angles and pivoted to the opposite side walls of the case 1. A returning-spring, here shown in the form of a wire 21, extends upward from the bottom of the case through openings in the lifting-strip 19 and the detent 16. The purpose of these returning-springs will be more fully described hereinafter.

The several rollers 5 and 7 may be held in place and prevented from touching adjacent rollers by means of strips 22, having their ends seated in recesses in cleats 23, secured to the inner sides of the ends of the case. The forward ends of the plates 14; have upwardly-projecting portions 24, against which the lower edge of a swinging plate 25 is designed to engage. This swinging plate 25 is pivoted at its upper edge to uprights 26 on the top of the case, and extended from this plate is a push-pin 27.

At one side within the case is a device to enable an officer of elections to register the total number of votes cast and also to restore the several parts to their normal position after having been manipulated by a voter. This means consists of a feed-roller 28, similar to the feed-rollers 5 and mounted on the same` IOO shaft, and a roller 20, similar to the rollers 7 and mounted on the same shaft, and a 'tape le' extends between the rollers 2S and 2Q. The take-up roller 29 is operated by a dog 3l, engaging with a ratchet-toothed flange 82 on the roller, the said dog being pivotally connected to a block 33, mounted to slide in a slot in the' top of the case. The detent and liftin g-stri p, heretofore described, are omitted in this portion of the device. The block however, has a forwardly projecting and downwardly-inelined linger 3l at its forward end, engaging underneath the lifting-bar 20.

As it is desired that the voting shall be secret or not seen by the election oflicer a partition 35 is extended upward from the case between the parts operated by a voter and the part operated by the election ollicer.

In use the name of the candidate and the olliee will be placed upon a slide-plate ll. lVhen a voter desires to vote for any one or several of the candidates, he will push the slide plate i4: forward. This of course, through the medium of the dog ll, will rotate the takeup roller one step, and at the completion el' the movement the detent 1G will engage over the rod 18 and thus prevent the voter from returning the slide te its original posi` tion and also prevent repeating. Should the voter desire to vote for all the candidates, he may operate the several devices simultaneously by pressing downward on the pushlinger 2'". This will swing the plate 25 and move the several slides forward and turn the several take-up rollers. Of course the take-up rollers will be rotated step by step by the voters following one another,and therefore the number of votes for each candidate will be disclosed through the sight-opening S. After a voter shall have linished voting the election officer will push the block forward, and this will impart motion to the take-up roller 29, moving the tape 3G through the space from one number to another, the numbers of which will indicate the total number of voters voting. As the block is moved forward the inclined upper surface of the linger 3st will swing the rod 2O upward, and this rod 20 will lift the strips 19, which at this time will be in engagement with the detents switched in, and this lifting of the strips lil will lift said detents out of engagement with the bar 1S. Then the springs 2l will return the several slides and the dogs ll to their normal position in readiness for the next voter, as indicated in full lilies in Fig. 2.

At the closingof the polls it is obi'iousthat the total number of votes for each candidate will be seen on the tape below the sight-opiniing S, and therefore may be scheduled inthe usual manner without delay.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire te secure by Letters Patentl. A voting-machine, comprising a case, a delivery-roller and a take-up roller mounted in the case, a numbered tape extended between the rollers, a block movable in a slet in the top of the case, adeg mounted te swing on said bloclc and adapted to engage with ratchet-teeth formed in a flange of the take-up roller, a resilient detent-strip extended from the block and having a hook end, a rod over which said hook end is designed to engage, and means for lifting the detent from the rod, substantially as specilied.

2. A voting-machine, comprising a ease, a delivery-roller mounted in said case,a takeai p roller mounted Ain the case, a plate arranged inthe case below a sight-opening in the top of the case, a numbered tape extended bitween the rollers and over said plate, a bleek movable in a slot in the top of the ease, a dog mounted to swing on said block and adapted to engage with ratchet-teeth formed on one of the flanges of the talieup roller, a resilient detent-plate extended forward of the bleek and having a hook end, a rod over which said hook end is designed Ato engage, a resilient lifting-stri p extendingfrom the bloot: underneath the detent, means for raising said lil'ting-plate, and a spring i'or returning the bleek to its normal position, substantially as speellied.

A voting-machine, comprising a case, a number of deliveryrollers in said ease, a number of take-up rollers in said ease, num bered tapes extended between feed and takeup rollers, a slide-block for operating each take-up roller, a spring-yielding detent ex* tended from the block and adapted to engage with a bar extended across the case, a swinging bar engaging underneath the several detents, another sliding bleek, anda cam-linger extended from said otherblock and engaging with the swinging bar to lift the same and release the detents, substai'itially as specified.

ANDREW ll. HAR'I.

Witnesses:

E. C. Fox, F. Busin lloemi'nv.

IOO 

